Another Menace
by kurantoB
Summary: Battle of 3000... Tanio Bell is a reluctant boy, fighting in a very strange world. This is a story in which I am actually taking seriously, so please enjoy. New update: UNFINISHED AND CANCELED.
1. Chapter 1

**Note:** Yay! Fanfiction's active again! I deleted my old story about the future battle because it was... stupid. The only thing I kept was Sean's name. It's pretty hard to imagine the world 1000 years in the future, but here's what I came up with... with some influence heheheh.

**Disclaimer:** I Zatch Bell own not.

* * *

Another Menace

**Chapter One: Introduction**

Year three thousand.

The desert wind was blowing hard, and a lone figure was having difficulty enduring his trip. He was wearing a dark green cloak and had a hood and a mask protecting his face. A shot was heard and a patch of sand flew up beside the walking boy.

_An enemy._

_I must have wandered into foreign territory..._

Quickly, the boy ran back from where he came from, desperately looking for shelter.

_But I have a mission to accomplish. I must endure._

He looked around, looking for a village he can spend the night in. His eyes caught sight of a lump on the sand, and he ran quickly towards it.

* * *

**Prologue**

_A long time ago, Earth was once a flourishing place, with great cities all over the world, diverse and happy._

_But one day..._

_Disaster struck. World War III happened, and poor countries were devoured by power-hungry states. Technology boomed and weapons were constructed with the intent to eliminate whole nations._

_Then nations were having difficulty maintaining their own welfare and resources. Everybody called for a truce, but it was too late. Technology had already wiped out 95 of human population, and due to immense pollution, all forests turned to deserts. Animals became extinct._

_Sickness and hunger spread, killing most of the survivors. Consuming people continuously..._

**End of prologue**

* * *

**A few hours ago**

It was sunny, and the sky was as blue as ever, without a cloud in sight. Trees of different colors decorated the landscape, and a soft breeze blew the air. But all was quiet.

A large crowd of children were gathered in front of the palace, waiting anxiously for the king to emerge.

"What's wrong, Gash?" asked a guard. "You're looking troubled."

"The battle," replied the King Gash. "It's starting soon. I'm just having flashbacks of the last battle." The guard remained silent, for the king's words were beyond his comprehension.

_"If you become the kind ruler of the demon world," said Koruru. "Maybe we won't need to fight like this anymore."_

_But I can't... I don't have the power to stop this._

"It's time to give your speech," said Queen Tio reluctantly. "Good luck... Gash." King Gash didn't respond and proceeded out the door. He was greeted by a crowd of children.

_These are the fighters. They will fight a bloody and sad battle. One of them will become the next king and take my place._

"Girls and boys," said Gash, looking at the crowd. "Children of Makai..." He stammered.

_"If you become the kind ruler of the demon world, maybe we won't need to fight like this anymore."_

Gash closed his eyes and fled the balcony.

"Gash, Gash!" yelled a guard, following him.

_I can't take it. I'm not a strong king._

"Darn, after all these years, he still has post traumatic stress disorder," muttered a guard to another.

"Get back up there!" said a guard, pushing Gash back on the balcony.

"C-children of Makai..." said Gash. "You all know about the battle to become king. Each one of you... must become strong and confident, and endure this battle. No matter how much hardship you encounter, no matter how much friends you will lose... Each one of you must stay strong, and win the power to stop all future battles from mutilating Makai!"

A handful of cheers and claps echoed from the crowd, accompanied by some boos.

"May the best mamodo win."

* * *

**Back in the desert**

_Why would a book be here?_ The boy picked up the object and brushed the sand off. It looked like a textbook with a pink cover.

_Could it be what I'm looking for?_ He opened it up. He was greeted by strange symbols.

"As I thought," he muttered out loud. "This mysterious desert holds valuable treasure... Huh?" The boy noticed faint footsteps leading away from where he was standing.

_Those are not mine. The sandstorm is strong, and considering that I still see them, they must be new. Better follow them before they fade._

He jogged along the path, stopping to squint ahead. Seeing a mountain, he continued to jog. _It went up the mountain?_

When he reached the summit, the boy took off his cloak and mask revealing his black sweatshirt and messy black hair.

"There's my city," he said to himself, doing a victory cheer inside. He was referring to the walled city next to a bunch of windmills. "Just wait till they see the treasure I found."

Clutching the book tightly, he trotted towards his house. Throwing his backpack on his desk, he took out the book, trying to decipher it.

"OW!" A large bump grew on his head.

"Where were you, Sean?" asked his mom, her fist clenched. "Your breakfast turned cold hours ago!"

"I was in the desert," said Sean, clutching his head.

"How many times do I have to tell you YOU CAN BE KILLED THERE!" yelled his mom. "You know how vicious the savages are. They ran out of food, so they feed on trespassers."

"I'm fourteen, I can handle myself," retorted Sean as he entered the dining room, eating his porridge. The city was fortunate enough to have an oat farm. Electricity was supplied by the windmills outside of town.

After finishing his breakfast, Sean took the elevator up to the roof of his apartment building, so he can get a good view of the city. Sitting on the edge, he took out the book he found.

_What does this say? Can this really be a clue for solving the mystery of the desert?_ Sean searched from page to page, but all he could see was more and more symbols. All of a sudden, the book began glowing.

"I... can read this," said Sean, reading a page. "I can read these words!"

Something behind Sean gave a long sigh. "Then read it," said a voice. Sean whirled around.

"Wha-? Hey! Who are you?"

* * *

**Note:** Guess where I got my idea about the future from. Here's a clue: It's from an anime movie. Azelf and Jirachi, you know the answer so don't ruin it for the others. The person who gets it right first gets a prize. Anyway, review!


	2. Chapter 2

**Note: **Ugh. I hate coming up with names. Oh well, Tanio would do.

**Disclaimer:** I Zatch Bell own not.

* * *

**Chapter Two: Another Menace**

"Hey! Who are you?" asked Sean as he whirled around. A young boy of about seven years old stood facing Sean. He was wearing a light-blue cloak and had orange hair that covered his ears.

There were two lines going down his face, and his hair and cloak were blowing softly against the wind.

"My name is Tanio," was the reply. "Why were you in the desert?"

"How did you know I was there?" Sean said.

"That book, well, it was in the desert," said Tanio, pointing to the pink textbook. "I left it there, hoping no one would find it, but..." There was a brief pause.

"You said you can read it," continued Tanio. Wordlessly, Sean opened the book and read the first page.

"The first spell, _Zakeru_," read Sean. Tanio opened his mouth and shot a bolt of electricity at the sky.

"What's your name?" asked Tanio, offering his hand.

"Hey, I'm not touching that hand until you tell me what kind of monster you are!" said Sean as he backed away.

"I am... a mamodo," said Tanio, sitting down next to Sean. "Mamodos come from Makai, where we have magical powers. But here on Earth, we can only use magic if a human reads our spell book. That human becomes the mamodo's destined partner."

"But why are you here? Why are we paired up?"

"To fight a battle. Every millennium, one hundred mamodos are sent to Earth to fight. The goal of this battle is to burn each other's books using our spells. When a mamodo's book is burnt, whoever it belongs to gets immediately sent back to Makai. The last one standing takes over the ruler of Makai and becomes the new ruler."

Sean still looked troubled. "Okay, then. Why did you leave your book behind in the desert?"

"It was because I had nothing else to do," said Tanio as he looked down. "I'd rather not fight this battle. I have no idea why I was chosen in the first place. That's why, I was really depressed when you found my book. That means you're my destined partner, and that I must fight this battle." Sean stared at Tanio with utmost disdain, but he sat down next to Tanio to hear him continue.

"I left the book in the desert, hoping that a mamodo would find it and burn it. That way, I won't have to fight."

"Heh, but the desert has no limits," spat Sean. "Coward. How can you expect another mamodo to find your book?"

"Mamodos are attracted to each others' books," said Tanio. "We have special senses."

"I have only one word to say," said Sean. Tanio looked at him anxiously. "IDIOT! If you hate fighting so much, then fight!"

"WHA- Why is that?" asked Tanio angrily.

"Let's see... you told me that the winner becomes the ruler of Makai. That's why someone like you should strive for power, not just give up upon entering the battle! Listen, Tanio. You have a reason for power. Your reason is because you dislike fighting. If you hate fighting, and you have no power, how can you prevent future battles?"

Tanio gaped at Sean.

"_Each one of you," said King Gash. "Must become strong and confident, and endure this battle. No matter how much hardship you encounter, no matter how much friends you will lose... Each one of you must stay strong, and win the power to stop all future battles from mutilating Makai!"_

"What are you staring at?" snapped Sean, bringing Tanio back into his senses.

"Oh, it's nothing," said Tanio. "Let's hurry up and train, so I can be ruler of Makai!" He offered Sean his hand and Sean shook it happily.

"But anyway, you still haven't answered my question," said Tanio after a few moments.

"Uh... what was it again?" asked Sean sweat dropping.

"Why were you in the desert?"

"Oh that. My name is Sean, and I'm a secret explorer. As you know, everything around here is desert. My job is to search the wasteland to look for treasure and other mysterious stuff. And because the desert has been around for centuries, lots of myths and legends about it have been told, and I wanted to prove them true. Unfortunately, after years of searching, all I found was sand and more sand, until I found this."

Sean showed Tanio the spell book. "Anyway, I have to let mom know that you're staying with us."

"What will you say?" asked Tanio.

"You're an orphan from another nation that's suffering from food shortages. While searching for food, you got lost in the desert and wandered into Oat Beach city."

* * *

"Okay," said Sean's mom. Sean, Tanio, and Sean's mom were in the oat farm. The water for watering these plants came from the ocean, since the city was located on a coast.

"Yay!" said Sean as he dashed out into the beach.

"Tanio, come here," said Sean's mom as she beckoned him. She was watering oats, along with other women and children. There was not a man in sight. "I want you to take good care of Sean. He worries me to death all the time, and I need you to make sure he doesn't get into trouble. Understand?"

"You can count of me, ma'am," said Tanio. Sean's mother laughed.

"Thank you, but you can call me mom."

"Thank you, mom," said Tanio as he ran towards Sean at the beach. Sean was sitting in front of the waves, staring at the horizon. Surprisingly, there was nobody else on the beach. Everybody in town were planting and watering at the farm.

"Say, do you have a father?" asked Tanio as he sat next to Sean.

"Yes, but... all males are required to join the army when they turn twenty. Sickness and hunger are everywhere, so nations fight primarily for food and water. And because Oat Beach city has an oat farm and the beach, lots of other cities attack us to gain our land. My dad fights to defend this city from foreigners. But we only fight when attacked. Most of the time we're friendly. I've never seen my dad. When I asked mom about it, she just said that he left for war and was never heard from again."

"Sean..." said Tanio. "Do you think we can take this? Can I really be that strong? It's already a war-stricken world. And now another battle is introduced."

"Yep, it's another menace."

* * *

**Note:** Somebody, please review. Also, I need some mamodos so here's the form:

Demon/Mamodo

Name:

Appearance:

Background/Personality:

Spells + Description:

Human

Name:

Appearance:

Background/Personality:

Anyway, nobody tried to guess where I got inspiration. Reminder: There will be a prize.


	3. Chapter 3

**Note:** I might take a while to update.

**Disclaimer:** I Zatch Bell own not.

* * *

**Chapter Three: A Forced Battle**

A big view of the desert confronted Tanio. There was a sandstorm in the distance.

"Hey kid," said a soldier. He had short, unruly brown hair and brown eyes. He knelt down besides Tanio. "What are you doing up here on the lookout fortress?"

"I'm trying to get a good look at this world," replied Tanio absent-mindedly.

"Well, this is a cruel world," said the soldier. "We might get attacked anytime. If you value your life, go back to the city. We will ensure your safety."

Tanio nodded and walked back towards home. A cluster of tall buildings greeted him. _What a boring place this is. It's either a desert of sand, or a desert of concrete. Sean's at school, training to become a soldier. I guess farming is the only thing to do._

"Hello, Tanio, would you mind helping me water the crops?" asked Sean's mother. Tanio looked up from his daze. Somehow, he had wandered into the farm.

"Uh... sure." He took a sprinkler and got to work.

* * *

"This place is so boring. I'm going to the beach," said Tanio as he walked towards the beach. "I wonder where's Sean. He should be dismissed by now."

"GOTCHA!"

Two hands grabbed Tanio by his chest.

"Hey, who are you? Let me go!" said Tanio. He glared at his kidnapper. It was a 14-year-old boy with spiky black hair, brown eyes, and a robot body with a red crystal at the center. _How much worse can it be? I haven't even burned a single book and now I'm kidnapped._

"We will not resort to violence if you peacefully tell us where your spell book is," said a 15-year-old boy, walking up to them, holding a glowing blue book. He had short, unruly brown hair and brown eyes.

Tanio let out a gasp. _He's that soldier from this morning._

"Hey, aren't you the soldier from this morning?" screamed Tanio, struggling in the mamodo's grasp. "We don't have to fight. We both want to make this world a safer place, so there can be an understanding between us!"

The mamodo holding Tanio merely laughed. "How can a weakling like you have the power to improve the world? Maybe it would be better if we just send you home."

"Well, even if I'm weak now, I can become stronger," said Tanio. There was a pause and the book owner and mamodo exchanged glances.

The mamodo gently put Tanio down.

"You pass the test," said the book owner.

"What test?"

"We were trying to see whether or not you are evil," replied the mamodo.

"Well you weren't acting very nice a few moments ago," said Tanio as he backed away.

"My name is Goruji," said the robot-bodied mamodo. Then, he glanced at his teenage book owner. "This is my book keeper, Keklin." There was a brief pause.

"Tanio, will you battle us?" asked the book owner Keklin as his blue book began glowing.

"Tanio, take the challenge!" said a voice. "We can use this chance to train." Tanio turned around to see Sean running towards him, holding a glowing pink book.

"Right. I accept," said Tanio solemnly. Goruji put on his helmet. His eyes were covered by a pink visor.

"I'll start," said Keklin. "_Aruushi_." Goruji fired a red beam of laser from the red crystal on his stomach.

"_Zakeru_."

The lightning from Tanio's mouth missed the laser and hit Goruji. There was a yell, and Sean turned to look a sizzling wound on Tanio's stomach.

"You will pay for that!" said Goruji, staggering from the blow. "Keklin!"

"_Aruushi_."

"_Zakeru_." The two spells canceled each other out, but signs of fatigue were evident on Sean.

"_Zakeru_!"

"_Aruushieldo_." Goruji smirked and produced a transparent red barrier in front of him. The lightning bolt hit the shield and disappeared.

"They used a shield on us," said Sean, panting. He closed his book. "It's no use, Tanio. We have to run."

Tanio shook his head and ignored them. He turned to Keklin. "Why must we fight? We both want to make the world a more peaceful place. We have an understanding of each other, so please stop fighting!"

"What the hell," said Keklin. "If you have the power to stop this mess, then defeat us first. There can only be one king! _Aruushi_!"

"There are no such things as friends in this battle," said Goruji as a beam of laser shot from his stomach. "Everyone is everyone's enemy. Only the most powerful mamodo deserves to win." Tanio shook in rage as the laser approached him.

"There is a reason why the battle was created," yelled Keklin. "So we can fight!"

Tanio leapt from the laser's path, but he was knocked back by the explosion.

"Tanio, we have to run," said Sean as he turned tail.

"No, Sean. We stay," said Tanio as he slowly pulled himself up. "If this guy wants a fight, he gets one!"

Sean paused, but he couldn't help smiling. All of a sudden, the book began emitting a bright pink color.

"Our book is glowing!" said Sean excitedly.

"This can't be good," said Keklin.

"A new spell appeared," said Sean.

"This doesn't change anything. It's time to end this," said Keklin, flipping his blue book to another page. "Our third spell, _Zon Aruushidon_!"

"Take this, weakling!" Goruji's chest opened up and three missiles were fired at Tanio.

"Time to see what this does," said Sean. "The second spell, _Ma Seshieldo_!" Tanio produced an orange circular shield. There was a giant orange orb and a lightning pattern at the center of the shield.

The three missiles collided with the shield, making noticeable cracks on it. Tanio powered the shield with all his energy.

"C'mon!" said Sean as he poured more energy into the spell. Tanio also was struggling. "We can do this, Tanio. We can't lose!" A few moments later, there was a loud explosion. Sean and Tanio were thrown backward.

"Did we... win?" asked Sean as he sat up with difficulty. When the smoke cleared, their opponents were gone.

"They... _ran_?" said Sean. He looked around and discovered Tanio lying unconscious next to him.

"Oh well," said Sean as he smiled. "At least we won."

* * *

**Note:** I really like to animate and all that but... It's Just Too Hard!!! Darn, all the anime artists really need patience. Anyway, continue submitting mamodos! They're good... well, great. And Blighter: Please excuse my treating Goruji as a bad guy, but when I read the spells you gave him, I figured that he is a very strong mamodo, and a very strong mamodo teaming up with Tanio would mean that the good guys would win instantly. I wouldn't want that to happen, so I gave his personality a twist. :P


	4. Chapter 4

**Note:** Read.

**Disclaimer:** I Zatch Bell own not.

* * *

**Chapter Four: Tanio All Alone**

"Did we have to run away?" groaned Goruji. He and his partner were pacing around on the lookout fortress.

"Tanio is not worthy to be our enemy," said Keklin. "Besides, he easily blocked our strongest spell, so we should be training instead of picking on others."

"Fine," said Goruji. "Let's be friendly towards mamodos who are actually strong enough to be allies with us."

"I'd recommend not holding your head up too much, Goruji. You're not very strong yourself," said Keklin. "Besides, allies cannot be trusted. This is a battle that involves every mamodo. Do you even know your goal?"

"To become king and promote peace in Makai," recalled Goruji. "Just as the king said."

"Right, and to become king, you need power," said Keklin looking down. "And you don't have enough of that."

"See? I told you an ally would be nice," said Goruji smirking.

"Whatever you say," said Keklin.

Suddenly, Goruji looked up. "Keklin, we're in luck. I sense a mamodo."

"Ok, then," said Keklin. "Now is the time to earn some allies."

* * *

Sean came home from school, as tired as usual.

"Why are you so tired every time you come home?" asked Tanio.

"I'm training to be a soldier, didn't you know that?" said Sean as he flopped down on his bed. He stared at Tanio. _What's going on? All of Tanio's cuts and bruises have... disappeared?_

"Hey, why are you covered in bruises?" asked Tanio, pointing to Sean.

"We had a battle yesterday, remember?" asked Sean, bolting up. Then he pointed back at Tanio. "And why did your wounds heal so fast?"

"Gee, I was about to ask you why didn't your wounds heal," said Tanio, chuckling to himself. Sean collapsed back onto his bed.

"I see, so you demons have magical healing powers," said Sean.

A sharp tingling sensation came across Tanio and he looked up. _What's this strange feeling? Am I sensing another mamodo? I better go check it out._

"W-what's wrong?" asked Sean.

"Uh- nothing. You should take a rest," said Tanio, getting up. "You look terrible."

"Hey, wait! Where are you going?"

"To the beach."

* * *

It was late in the evening, and a 5-year-old mamodo girl limped across the shore, pulling a human girl along. She had long blue hair with a pink headband and green eyes. She wore a pink kimono with blue sashes and small blue boots.

The human was a 9-year-old girl. She wore torn clothes and was covered with scrapes.

"Mira," said the mamodo girl. "Mira there's a mamodo close by. Let's run."

"No, Kali. We fight," said the human named Mira. She refused to move.

"Please, it's too dangerous," said the mamodo named Kali.

"No, we can't run," said Mira. "We have no choice but to fight. Every time we run, they catch us."

"What if it's Goruji?" said Kali. "We're much too weak."

Mira closed her eyes and recalled their battle with Goruji and Keklin in the desert.

* * *

_Flashback_

Kali and Mira were facing Goruji and Keklin. Goruji had a helmet on.

"Mira, they're going to attack us," said Kali. "Quick! A spell!"

"_Akuru_," said Mira. Kali aimed at Keklin and shot a burst of water from her hands. Goruji jumped in front of Keklin and blocked the attack. The water splashed harmlessly against his metallic body.

"Keklin, they attacked us at first sight," said Goruji surprised.

"Unfriendly mamodos will only get in our way," said Keklin, opening his glowing book. "They aren't worth becoming our allies. Let's end this."

"_Aruushi_," said Keklin. Goruji fired his laser at Kali.

"Kali, get out of the way!" yelled Mira. Kali ducked, but the laser cooked Mira's leg.

"_Aruushi_," said Keklin again.

"The second spell," said Mira. "_Ganzu Akuru_!" Kali went in front of Mira and threw balls of water at Goruji. The laser evaporated all the water, creating a smoke screen.

"Let's run," said Mira, pulling Kali.

"Trying to get away? Goruji, let's test out our newest spell," said Keklin. "_Zonis Arukuuma_." Goruji grinned as his right arm turned into a flamethrower.

"This ought to stop them," said Goruji as his attack burned through the smoke screen.

"_Ganzu Akuru_," said Mira. Kali desperately shot multiple spheres of water that put out the fire. Goruji used his jetpack and blasted off into the air to avoid the attacks.

"Use it, Keklin," said Goruji, aiming at Mira, who was kneeling on the ground. "Use our strongest spell and get this over with."

"_Zon Aruushidon_," called Keklin. Goruji, from the air, launched three guided missiles from his stomach.

"Mira, it's going to hit us!" exclaimed Kali, who backed up in fear.

"The third spell, _Zei Akuron_!" called Mira, summoning all inner strength. The three missiles detonated on Kali and Mira, and Kali's spell took effect. The two figures turned into water, which turned into a stream that flowed downhill.

_End of Flashback_

* * *

"We barely escaped," said Mira slowly. She took out a glowing spell book. "That's why it's either we attack them first, or they attack us."

"It's evil," said Kali. She hung her head. "This battle is evil."

"Who are you?" asked Tanio, stepping up to them. He let out a gasp when he saw the human holding a glowing spell book.

"_Akuru_," said Mira. Kali said nothing and fired a pulse of water from her hand. Tanio sidestepped the attack.

"I'm in no mood for battle," said Tanio pleadingly. He began to run away.

"Neither are we," said Kali as she jumped in front of Tanio. "But if we let you go, you'll call for your book owner."

"_Ganzu Akuru_," screamed Mira. Kali quickly shot water spheres at Tanio, who took a direct hit.

"Stop, I beg you," said Tanio as he began to climb back up. _This team seems... desperate. What happened?_

"His book keeper will come any time," said Kali. "Mira, we have to take him out quickly."

_It's alright_, thought Tanio. _If they defeat me, at least Sean will still be safe._

"Right," said Mira. "I'm putting my full energy on this spell. _Akuru_!" Kali jumped up and aimed at the ground in front of Tanio. The water smashed the ground and bounced up, creating a tidal wave. Tanio gasped as the water overcame him and pushed him into the ocean.

"Our newest spell, _Oruda Kuran_!" called Mira.

Watery tentacles grabbed Tanio and dragged him deeper in the water.

A minute later, Kali resurfaced from the water and swam to the shore.

"Where is he?" asked Mira.

"I lost him," said Kali. "He was there a minute ago. I don't sense him anymore, so he must have drowned."

Both of them stared at the ocean, neither of them saying a word.

* * *

"I'm... home," breathed Tanio as he walked through the door of Sean's room.

"Hi, Tanio, what took you so long?" asked Sean. He noticed Tanio's wet robe. "And... did you have a good swim?"

"Yeah," said Tanio absent-mindedly as he collapsed onto his bed and fell asleep instantly.

"Good night," said Sean as he pulled his covers over himself.

* * *

**Note:** Please don't kill me, for I'm bad at writing from a girl's perspective because I'm not a girl. And can someone submit bad mamodos? This story won't have "spice" without them. Now review!


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Whew, haven't updated in a couple of… years? I suggest reading the story all over from the beginning if you don't know the plot.

I fixed all the grammatical and spelling errors in the previous chapters, so enjoy. But I haven't touched the Author's Notes.

(Looks back at my previous Author's Notes)

Dang, I just realized how emo I am. Creepy.

But whatever, I'm growing out of it.

Here's chapter 5. A little short, but this is just to keep you posted on the storyline.

* * *

**Chapter Five**

Tanio was lying in bed, curled up in a ball. He seemed to have a cold.

"Don't push yourself so hard next time," said Sean as he got up and started doing his homework. "Besides, why did you want to swim anyway? Did something happen?"

Tanio nodded. "There was a mamodo. But they seemed desperate, as if they don't want to fight."

"Why didn't you tell me before!?" said Sean as he grabbed his spell book.

"I wanted to make friends," said Tanio. "Without you, I could be less of a threat. But they fought me."

"Well then? What happened next?"

"I have a special ability that allows me to conceal my energy of existence, so they couldn't sense me. It only happens when I'm asleep, though. I was sleeping too much underwater."

Sean sighed. "That's a relief. We won't have to worry about mamodos attacking us in the middle of the night."

He shot a sly look at Tanio. "But tomorrow, school is finally over, so I'm going to pack. As soon as you get well… YOU will be coming with me."

"Huh? To where?"

"Anywhere but here," said Sean as he packed his bag and got ready for school. "This way, we can find other books to burn."

"While at the same time, I can explore the world," continued Sean as he marched out the door.

"But…" Before Tanio could finish, Sean was on his way.

* * *

"Bah! Who wants allies?" yelled Keklin as he looked down, narrowing his eyes. "All that's ever happened to us were battles and more battles." They were standing on the lookout fortress.

"This wouldn't have happened if we hadn't ambushed that pipsqueak," said Goruji. He was referring to Tanio.

"I ought to wipe out every other mamodo and get this over with," said Keklin. He sighed. "He would just get in our way." Goruji didn't respond. He was looking into the distance.

"Huh, have you found anything?" asked Keklin.

Goruji closed his eyes. "Yeah. There seems to be a big city about 2000 kilometers north from here."

"Really? How can you analyze things like this?" asked Keklin.

"I've sensed at least 20 mamodos from that direction," said Goruji. "And according to my keen senses, I can tell exactly how far they are. Don't underestimate my abilities."

He closed his eyes and smiled. "Remember that little blue-haired mamodo girl we fought yesterday? She's also directly headed for that direction."

"Enough," said Keklin. "We set out tomorrow morning." _This battle will end. The sufferings shall cease._

_

* * *

_**A/N:** From here on, I'm including what I call the "cast reference", that is, at the end of every chapter, I'll list out the characters who are presented, then describe them, so you won't have trouble trying to imagine what they look like.

You can still keep submitting demons and book owners, but don't expect a 100% chance that I'm going to include them. For the submission guide, go to the end of Chapter 2.

Remember, if you want me to use your contribution, make it outstanding.

* * *

**Cast Reference (The Names of Demons are Italicized)**

Sean: 14-year-old boy, messy black hair, wears a dark green cloak and a mask when traveling in the desert, wears a black sweatshirt when at home

_Tanio_: 7-year-old demon boy, orange hair that covered his ears, wears a light-blue cloak

Pink-colored spell book

Keklin: 15-year-old boy, short, unruly brown hair, brown eyes, clad in tatters

_Goruji_: 14-year-old demon boy, spiky black hair, brown eyes, robot body with a red crystal at the center

Blue-colored spell book


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** I'm currently updating on a regular basis; In other words, more often than once every year…

**Disclaimer:** Oops. I forgot to put a disclaimer on the previous chapter.

* * *

**Chapter Six**

A dry gust of wind blew across the oat farm. Tanio was plowing the field when he noticed Keklin approaching.

"Keklin's here?" he asked. "What's happening?"

Keklin merely stared at Tanio for a second, then he bent down and uprooted an oat plant. Without a word, he put the plant in his pocket.

_What did he do that for?_ thought Tanio as Keklin walked away.

* * *

"He WHAT?" asked Sean as he dropped his bag. They were in his room, in the evening. The last day of school had ended.

"I told you, he picked a plant off the farm," said Tanio. "What's wrong with that?"

"Everything! He works as a border guard, right? We have to look for them, now."

"Hey, wait!" yelled Tanio as Sean pulled his hand. "What's going on?"

_That guy, where could he have gone?_ thought Sean as he headed out the door. He ran up to the lookout fortress.

"Excuse me, sir, but you are not permitted to go near the border guard station or the city gate," said a guard. "A 15-year-old traitor named Keklin Sonra managed to break out of this city, so security has tightened up."

Sean nodded. "I thought so. Was there anything strange about Keklin?"

"Yes," said the guard. "He was with a companion who heavily injured some soldiers with a laser beam."

The soldier paused. "But I've said too much. You should stay in the city and look after yourself."

Sean and Tanio went back to his house and went up to his room.

"Sean," said Tanio. "What's wrong with leaving the city?"

Sean was silent for a while, but then he said, "When you're working as a soldier or a border guard, you are not permitted to leave the region. They would think you're a spy from another area. Also, since you're quitting in the middle of your duty, other soldiers would chicken out and do the same."

"But what about the oat plant?" asked Tanio. "Why is picking a plant disallowed?"

"The kind of oat grown in this city is the only known species of oat which survived to this day.

It was able to survive both the intense pollution and the ocean's polluted salt water.

And it can never be found anywhere else besides right here in the farm."

"So that means Keklin…" said Tanio.

"Yeah, he's a traitor. He's trying to bring a specimen of our rare breed and spreading it to other countries."

* * *

It was dark in the desert. The sandstorm made it even harder to see.

"That was a bad move," said Goruji. "Now we have to spend the night in this environment."

"Shut up and give me a hand," said Keklin, annoyed. He was trying to pitch a tent.

* * *

"Yes, I'm finally done packing!" said Sean. He put his hooded cloak on. "Let's go!"

"Mom, we're leaving now," said Tanio as they exited the house.

"Wait, where are you going?" yelled Sean's mother as she ran up to the door. But it was too late. The boys had gone down the road.

"Shouldn't we tell her?" asked Tanio. Sean looked annoyed.

"No, and you shouldn't have told her we were leaving! Oh well, let's think of a way to escape this city."

He squinted in the horizon. Tanio stared in confusion.

"Follow me," said Sean as he ran into a large windmill. Inside, electricity was being produced by the spinning fan.

"This should be the windmill that powers the lookout fortress and the city gate," said Sean. "Tanio, aim at the steel fan above us and close your eyes." Tanio did as told.

"_Zakeru_," said Sean after he opened the pink spell book. Tanio opened his mouth and shot a lightning bolt at the blades. Nothing seemed to happen.

"Maybe it's not powerful enough," said Sean. He stood still and gathered more energy.

"_ZAKERU_"

After the bolt was fired, everything went white. After all the lights in the fortress shattered, everything went dark again.

Sean opened his eyes. "Let's go!" He pulled Tanio's hand and rushed towards the city gate.

The soldiers were flinching from the pain. "Ow, Argh! I can't see," said a guard. "What's happening?"

The team pushed the soldiers aside and ran out the gate. They didn't stop running until their legs were too tired to continue.

"That seemed to work out," gasped Sean as he collapsed on his knees. Tanio sat up and looked around. Behind them, a few towers of windmills were visible—the only trace of the city.

"Are you sure we can do this," said Tanio. "Walking in the desert, trying not to be burned… What if we meet another mamodo?"

"It's okay, I have a plan," said Sean. "Follow me."

* * *

_The Next Day_

"Well, do you have a plan?" asked Goruji. They were in the tent, but they could still feel the sun burning them through the tent.

"No," said Keklin. "What do you expect from a guy who dropped out of school at age twelve? At least give me a hint as of where we are."

"The city is still 1990 kilometers to the north," said Goruji. "If you plan of continuing, I don't mind. After all, I have much more stamina than any human."

* * *

Sean stopped digging and put down his shovel. All around him, the sand was overturned.

"We've been digging the whole night," complained Tanio. "Are we looking for some sort of treasure?"

"No, but it doesn't matter. We found it already," said Sean. He hit the hard object with his shovel to prove it.

"What have you found?" said a voice. It was Keklin. His spell book was open, and Goruji was standing besides him in the sun.

* * *

**Cast Reference**

Sean: 14-year-old boy, messy black hair, wears a dark green cloak and a mask when traveling in the desert, wears a black sweatshirt when at home

_Tanio_: 7-year-old demon boy, orange hair that covered his ears, wears a light-blue cloak

Pink-colored spell book

Keklin: 15-year-old boy, short, unruly brown hair, brown eyes, clad in tatters

_Goruji_: 14-year-old demon boy, spiky black hair, brown eyes, robot body with a red crystal at the center

Blue-colored spell book


End file.
